James Hetfield used Metallica’s October 10, 2026 performance at Sphere in Las Vegas to tell fans the band has no interest in using its concerts to push an outside agenda. Addressing the crowd during the Life Burns Faster residency, he described the show as an opportunity to set everyday troubles aside.
His remarks began with an acknowledgment of what it took for people to get there. Hetfield thanked fans who had traveled to Las Vegas, recognizing both the expense and the time they had committed to seeing Metallica. He then criticized entertainers who use their position to influence an audience, according to Metal Hammer.
“Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit,” he said.
Hetfield did not identify a particular performer in the reported remarks. He followed the criticism by encouraging the crowd to forget what was happening outside the venue, putting affection for the audience and the energy of the music at the center of the band’s purpose.
That preference for keeping political divisions out of his relationship with listeners predates the Sphere residency. In an April 2017 interview with Chilean newspaper La Tercera, Hetfield declined to share his opinion of Donald Trump. He explained that he wanted music to connect people and worried that taking a public position could make someone reject the band over a political disagreement. His example covered both possibilities: a listener could turn away whether he expressed support for Trump or opposition to him.
Metallica’s Life Burns Faster residency opened with performances on October 1 and 3. Its No Repeat Weekend format pairs Thursday and Saturday concerts without repeating songs between those two shows. The band returns to Sphere on October 15 and 17.
